The book 'Nikolai Berdyaev: An Epistolary Conversation. Archival Materials' took third place in the 19th Open Competition 'Enlightenment Through a Book'

On October 31, 2024, the award ceremony for the winners of the 19th Open Competition 'Enlightenment Through a Book' took place

The Diploma of the Third Degree in the category "Best Publicistic Book" was awarded to the work "Nikolai Berdyaev: An Epistolary Conversation. Archival Materials," published by the Political Encyclopedia Publishing House as part of the "Thought and Word" series. The book was edited and compiled by Tatiana Gennadievna Shchedrina (Doctor of Philosophy, senior researcher in the Department of Russian Philosophy History at the Institute of Philosophy, RAS, professor at MPGU, and editor for archives in the book series "Philosophy of Russia in the First Half of the 20th Century").

Irina Olegovna Shchedrina (Candidate of Philosophy, associate professor at the Faculty of Humanities at HSE University, senior researcher at the International Laboratory for the Study of Russian-European Intellectual Dialogue, HSE University) also contributed to the work.

Additionally, the editorial team expresses gratitude to research interns and staff members of the International Laboratory: E.A. Gureeva, I.I. Pavlov, R.T. Devlikamov, and N.V. Ryabchinsky. As part of the master class "The Archive of an Era: Philosophical Meanings" (Session I, April 2023) at the School of the Philosopher-Archivist, participants deciphered one of S.L. Frank ’s archival letters to N.A. Berdyaev. This letter is also included in the book.

This edition is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the prominent Russian thinker N.A. Berdyaev and presents an archival epistolary collection from the émigré period of his life, featuring correspondence with S.L. Frank and T.S. Frank, as well as letters from N.O. Lossky and Yu.M. Panebratsev. Each "conversation" revealed in this correspondence offers the opportunity not only to sense the "breath of personality" of the interlocutors but also to delve into the archive of the era of Russia and the Russian diaspora.

Readers witness the birth of ideas and bitter disappointments, intellectual joy, and tragic despair. Faced with the global social catastrophes of the 20th century, Russian philosophers remained true to themselves, and their historical experience is valuable to us. The appendix includes unique documents and photographs from archives.

The book is intended for a wide audience interested in the intellectual history of Russia and the Russian diaspora.

Nikolai Berdyaev: An Epistolary Conversation. Archival Materials / Edited and compiled by T.G. Shchedrina; introduction, text preparation, notes, and commentary by A.A. Gaponenkova, E.V. Serdyukova, I.O. Shchedrina, and T.G. Shchedrina. Moscow: Political Encyclopedia, 2023. – 303 pages: illustrations – (Thought and Word).